Mutual Affections
by TheGrimLlama
Summary: CCC: So how's coffee shop girl? Beca chuckled, she glanced towards the table where mysterious art-girl was once again scratching away at the tablet. BM: Well, I'm still perpetually single and awkward as. Why?


**This took far too long to write. Anyone I've spoken to about it will know EXACTLY how serious I am about that last statement. I know you dorks have been waiting for it so here... My gift, because I love you and I'm never around because of time differences and work :( xxx**

 **Work Text:**

 _Ding!_

 _CartoonCapnChlo sent a submission!_

Beca minimised her work and navigated to her tumblr. She felt her excitement peak as she read the notification. CCC was her favourite tumblr blog. She (well her profile said she) was a talented fan artist. Creating realistic sketches and caricatures was her forte, she occasionally aligned them with text posts from various fan authors, Beca had never had the privilege. She certainly wasn't _well known_ in the Stemily fandom.

If CCC had submitted artwork, she was gonna see it on a big screen. Beca glanced around the coffee shop, she was alone save for the redhead who frequented the back booth and an older gent in military get up. Safe enough to open her dash without being bombarded with dirty glares from patrons who were brazen enough to look at her screen.

 _CCC: Hi! I know we haven't really spoken, but I'm a huge HUGE fan! I love your stuff and I kinda took the liberty of creating something for you I hope that's okay? Anyway, I'm rambling now, I'm gonna go. Just let me know what you think x CapnChlo_

Holy shit. Holy fuck. Beca let out a squeal, glancing at the image on the screen. She smiled up at the barista who raised an eyebrow as she placed the coffee down. "Thanks Jess."

"I'll make the next one a decaf."

Beca nodded absently opening her messenger. She was so thankful that Tumblr added that particular feature.

 _BBM: Hi! That drawing is amazing? How are you so talented? Anytime you want to draw anything just do it! Especially for my fics._

The response was almost immediate.

 _CCC: Wanna collaborate?_

 _BBM: Shit! Really? YES?! *Happy GIF*_

 _CCC: So I did a drawing last night and I think it needs a story behind it before I post. Wanna see?_

 _BBM: Of course. Holy fuck, I am actually honoured dude._

 _1 new submission._

Beca grinned wildly at the cute scene playing out on the page in front of her. Opening the image, Beca quickly got to work, typing the first idea that popped into her head. Two hundred words later, Beca copied her work and pasted it into the messenger.

Chloe had always loved art. From the moment she was old enough to hold a pencil, she was drawing, painting. There was a family story that Chloe's mother had to hide her make up after finding Chloe had used it to create a rather interesting beach scene across the white tiles of the bathroom.

It was not a surprise to anyone when Chloe decided to pursue a career in fine art. Nor was it a surprise when she was awarded a full scholarship to attend Barden College of Arts and Humanities.

The scholarship made life easy for Chloe, it meant she didn't need to pay to rent out a rundown shared dorm, she wasn't weighed down by debt, and most importantly, it meant she was able to spend more time creating and selling her artwork.

Chloe's favourite medium presently was fan art. She found that people would pay good money for quality cartoons of their favourite characters. Unfortunately for Chloe, her go to website for submissions and requests was the reason she now spent a lot of her spare time online.

Getting sucked into a particular fandom was never on Chloe's agenda, however, when she was asked to complete a small piece for someone in the Stemily fandom, she fell straight in. It wasn't really the artwork that did it. It was an adorable little piece of writing by a fairly new blog, by the look of it.

After a few months of stalking the blog, she finally decided to introduce herself. She knew the blog in question followed hers. It gave her a slight thrill knowing that they were mutuals, and she always felt that little bit of excitement when there was a notification.

Chloe rarely created original work for fandoms. But when she did, she never shared it, keeping it in a little folder marked _Renaissance Artists (_ just in case anyone went snooping). The painting she completed today was amazing, it was a small watercolour of two girls sitting on the roof of a house, looking up at the stars. She definitely wanted this one seen. Which is why she decided to contact _TheBigBM._

The response was positive and quickly made Chloe feel they were going to be great friends.

Weeks of correspondence had Beca confiding in Chloe more than she'd ever expected. They'd swap childhood stories and little pieces of their lives, usually over their _coffee dates_ , where they would sit in their favourite coffee shops and chat while finishing off whichever collaboration they were currently working on.

 _CCC: So how's coffee shop girl?_

Beca chuckled, she glanced towards the table where mysterious art-girl was once again scratching away at the tablet.

 _BM: Well, I'm still perpetually single and awkward as fuck. Why?_

Beca snorted into her coffee, she and Chloe often swapped stories of disastrous dates, brainstorming a reason behind it.

 _CCC: Just curious? What, a friend can't ask about another friends love life without having motive?_

 _BM: No, you can't because you ALWAYS have a motive. Dork._

 _CCC: FIIIIINE. I have a crush…. And for the first time in my life, I'm too chicken to walk up and slip her my number._

Beca rolled her eyes, Chloe was usually very straight forward and would often initiate contact. She was in every way, the exact opposite of Beca. It was part of the reason Beca was still glancing over towards the redhead with the paint stained fingers. Beca smiled tightly and quickly glanced down as the redhead caught her staring.

 _BM: Dude. Just do it. She's not gonna bite._

 _CCC: Oh my god. SHE JUST LOOKED AT ME BECS! What do I do!? She probably thinks I'm a creep!_

Beca chuckled.

 _BBM: Ah, you are a creep? ILY though…_

 _CCC: Fine. I'm doing it._

Beca had barely read the message when someone sat down in the seat across from her. Paint girl was sitting, pink cheeked and nervous at the table. Beca's frown of annoyance was quickly replaced with confusion as the redhead smiled.

"Does every other table have a leak?" she asked. Beca blushed as she realised that she had just made a snarky remark at the girl she'd been crushing on for weeks. The girl chuckled. Her laugh was musical. Beca caught herself staring again as the girl began to talk.

"I just… So, I don't mean to be weird, but I see you here, like, all the time and I'm just curious about you."

"Curious about me? I'm boring… And weird…"

"Hi Boring and Weird, I'm Chloe."

Beca, who had stupidly taken a swig of her coffee barely managed to stop herself from spraying Chloe with latte. A red-head named Chloe who blatantly made a dad joke? No fuckin way.

"Chloe?"

"Yeah, is your name Chloe too?" she asked, taking a sip of the coffee that she'd clearly ordered on her way over. Beca could see the confusion clearly etched into Chloe's face. She smirked, and wondered whether Chloe had any idea.

"Actually no, it's Beca."

Chloe glanced at the laptop in front of Beca, then to her phone, then back up to the smirk plastered on Beca's face. "Like… Beca… Beca?"

"Like… Beca who you're secretly crushing on…"

"Oh my god. I'm the Paint Girl?" Chloe's confused face morphed into a sly grin.

"Yeah. Is this weird?"

A breathy laugh slipped from Chloe's lips, "Only because I know every dirty thought you've had about me for the last month…"

Beca flushed, she'd completely forgotten about those discussions. "Oh. I meant that respectfully…"

Chloe winked, "Hey, not judging… I'm hot."

"And here I was thinking that confidence was just because we were thousands of miles apart," Beca answered. She glanced at the tablet that Chloe was pulling out of her bag, "Does this mean I actually get to watch you work?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow, "Get writing, Big BM…"

"Aye Aye, Cap'n…"


End file.
